Summer Dream
by DreamyLoner
Summary: Emil comes to a cafe to buy fireworks. Leon refuses to sell him any. He returns the next day and the day after that. He will keep bugging the Asian boy until he agrees. There's no way Emil will give up. Human AU. HongIce. WARNING: angst, tragedy, fluff, humour.


**A/N: This fic is inspired by the amazing song "Boston" by Augustana! It's a bittersweet love story. The two female characters are Fem!Hong Kong and Fem!Iceland respectively. There are some angsty/tragic moments, please be warned. And do review if you like or dislike this! :D**

* * *

 **(1)**

The café was located at the beach. It was attached to a two-storey house. Blossoms and paints adorned the windows, forming an array of colours. Emil glimpsed a tiny drawing on the glass window. It looked awfully like a bear, but not quite the usual kinds of bears. It had black and white patches on its fur. Fluffy. Chubby. Adorable.

There was a painting of fireworks on the wall. The explosion of colours sank into his eyes. It gave the entire place a better reason to stay. He glanced down at his pocket notebook and traced his fingers along the cover. His eyes drifted back to the view outside. The beach was empty. The sand was smooth. Big, white waves embraced the shore. The horizontal line stretched on indefinitely. A distant cliff came into sight. He might climb up there one day.

A boy in his mid-twenties came towards his table with a tray in hand. He had brown hair and dark orbs. A peculiar flyaway curl hung out of the right side of his head. He gave Emil a goofy smile before placing the hot drink onto the table.

"Here's your hot strawberry mocha with marshmallow da-ze!" he beamed. "Is there anything else you want?"

"No, thanks," Emil mumbled and scanned the shop, suddenly realising that he was the only customer. He had picked a window seat in the far end corner. He peeked at the name tag.

 _Im Yong Soo._

"Right, enjoy the drink then!" Yong Soo winked with a wide smile. Emil rolled his eyes. Having a boy hit on him was the last thing he wanted on this trip. He took a sip of the drink. Just as Yong Soo turned around, he frowned.

"Wait," he called out. The boy spun around eagerly and smiled. "You want my number?"

"No," Emil said. "Do you know Leon?"

Yong Soo raised his eyebrows.

"Leon Wang-Kirkland," Emil clarified. "I hope I got that right. Is he still…um…working here?"

"Yea, sure, he's the one who made your drink." Yong Soo laughed and bounced towards the counter. He yelled, "Hey, Leon, a hot guy is asking for ya!"

Emil blushed and sighed. Now, it wasn't astonishing that this place was almost vacant.

A boy around his age popped out from the kitchen. He wore a white dress shirt, a red apron and black pants. He had choppy black hair and brown eyes which nearly looked amber under illumination. He was slightly shorter than Yong Soo and less well-built. He looked gorgeous nonetheless.

"What," he muttered.

"That dude." Yong Soo pointed to Emil, who tried hard not to fidget. "He requests to see you."

Leon nodded. He rubbed his hands on his apron and walked out of the counter. As he inched closer, Emil leant back instinctively, clutching the notebook tighter. The Asian boy eventually stopped in front of his table, towering over the Icelander.

"Hi there, cutie," he said with a smirk. His voice was low and…exceptionally seductive. "To what pleasure, like, do I own here?" Emil's heart skipped a beat. He wondered if all the workers in this café were this bold and unabashed. They reminded him of his brother's Danish boyfriend, Mathias.

"Well?" Leon tilted his head after a moment of silence. Emil stared at him speechlessly, his face tainted red. "You called for me. Why aren't you, like, speaking?"

"Oh, hi, Leon." Emil snapped out of his trance and greeted. He stood up and held out his hand. Leon cocked one of his rather thick brows and accepted his hand. "I'm Emil. Emil Steilsson."

"Cool," Leon said casually. "What's up?"

"I came all the way from Iceland," Emil said. "And I've heard of your…talent." The boy quickly opened his notebook and pulled out a postcard. The card was old and wrinkled, but the picture on it remained clear. An assortment of colours dotted the sky and glittered across the magnificent harbour. The sea reflected the light coming from the tall, gigantic skyscrapers. It formed a beautiful canvas painting. "Um…these fireworks…They were designed by you, right? I'm here to purchase some."

Leon glanced down at the postcard for a minute. His smile faded. He looked back up at Emil.

"You probably, like, got the wrong person," he muttered and turned around.

"Wait! You're Leon Wang-Kirkland, right?" Emil grabbed his elbow. "The one who designs and sells unique DIY fireworks."

"No, I'm not."

"But you're Leon."

"Yes, I'm Leon," Leon said monotonously. "The Leon who owns a café and sells drinks, not fireworks."

"But…this can't be…I mean, I was guided to come here and…" Emil looked around. He pointed to the paintings and pictures of fireworks on the wall. "See! You do sell fireworks!"

"No, I don't. You, like, got the wrong place and the wrong person." Leon brushed away his hand.

"I really need to buy your fireworks, please," Emil said, nearly pleading. He grasped the postcard tightly, almost creasing it.

Leon examined the silver-haired boy expressionlessly.

"Go somewhere else, Emil," he finally said and walked away.

* * *

 **(2)**

Emil walked along the shore, basking in the tender breeze and the salty air. He used to take a stroll with Elinora on the beach. She would insist on wearing her sky blue, lacy dress and a plain, white hat regardless of the weather. She was a gifted swimmer. He never won in their races.

After spending his lunch by the sea, Emil walked back to the café. The campanula rang as he pushed open the door. It let out a beautiful sound the blended with the roaring waves. The clash of dreams.

There was, again, no one inside. Emil had learnt that people in this neighbourhood didn't seem to enjoy afternoon tea. The village was small and there weren't many residents to begin with. Yong Soo said it would become extremely crowded in summertime, when tourists from all over the world rushed there and occupied the beach. They earned enough during peak seasons to compensate for the other periods. Emil thought they were pretty lucky. Most of the time, Yong Soo and Leon were chit-chatting and lazing about, if not arguing or fighting with each other like elementary kids. Leon's drinks were delicious, which Emil had to admit. They were almost bittersweet. Just the right amount of sugar and coffee beans. The fruits were always fresh and juicy. His heart tingled with warmth whenever he took the first sip.

"You never give up, do you?" Yong Soo laughed. "What's so attractive about my brother da-ze?"

"S-Shut up," Emil growled and took his usual seat. Yong Soo was about to hand him the menu but then stopped.

"Strawberry mocha with marshmallow again, right?" He chuckled, seeing that Emil had been ordering the same drink for the whole week.

"No, I'm gonna try raspberry today," Emil said.

"Sure!" Yong Soo giggled and danced back to the counter.

"A cheesecake as well."

"Excellent!"

They were playing Boston by Augustana. Emil remembered listening to it with Elinora. She said it would be nice to fly to somewhere else. Somewhere far away from Iceland. Somewhere they could start everything anew and meet interesting people. No one would know their secrets and their past. Everything would be an adventure. A dream.

Yong Soo went to the toilet, so Leon took his place and served Emil. The boy put down the drink silently. Emil didn't let his chance slip, of course. He had been talking to Leon for several days. Every time he visited the café, he would request to see him and convince him to sell him fireworks. Leon would always reject and ask him to leave.

"Leon." His voice quavered. Leon twitched a little when he clasped his elbow.

"Would you, like, mind letting go of me?" he said, gently pushing Emil's hand away.

"How much do you want?" Emil asked. "I can pay. I have money. I want the most expensive one. The one that no one else has ever seen. Please."

"No," Leon said instantly. "How many times do I, like, need to tell you that I don't make or sell fireworks? Are you nuts?"

"You're lying," Emil growled. "I checked!"

He dug into his bag and took out a pile of documents. One paper showed an extract from an online news article. It introduced Leon's café which used to sell various fireworks and provide the set-up service at the beach. Emil flung another piece of article introducing Leon's talent and the competitions he had won in firework designs. Then, there was a passage on his local fame as the firecracker prankster in his teens.

"You made these fireworks," Emil said. "I really want to buy them. Just name your price."

"Go home, Emil," was all Leon said before he ran back to the counter.

* * *

 **(3)**

Emil returned the next day. The café was closed. He sighed and sat on the doorstep. He glanced up at the sky. That was how he met Elinora. He was glancing up at the sky, not seeing what was ahead when he bumped into her. It was his first day in college. She had light blond hair and blue eyes. Her skin was just as pale as his. She smiled and blushed. He did the same. He picked up the books she had dropped. She took them and left with a giggle.

"What're you doing here?"

Emil blinked. Yong Soo stared at him curiously. He was wearing a T-shirt with an anime girl with huge boobs on it, a pair of shorts and sandals. He held a grocery bag with lots of fruits inside.

"Hi, Yong Soo, why is the café closed?" Emil asked. He didn't stand up.

"We take a few days off every once in a while," Yong Soo replied. "It's up to Leon when to operate it da-ze."

"Oh…" Emil nodded and stared at the ground. He started fiddling with a small pebble.

"You should go back to your hotel or…wherever you're staying at," Yong Soo said. "It's cold out here."

"I'll wait," Emil said, "until he comes."

"You're pretty stubborn da-ze," Yong Soo said. "My brother unfortunately is the same."

"I don't understand why he won't make them anymore," Emil mumbled, curling up his body and hugging his knees. "They're…stunning."

"You should…probably give up."

Emil widened his eyes and looked up. Yong Soo's trademark smile had long vanished. He gazed back at him solemnly. He put down his grocery bag and sat next to Emil.

"He won't make fireworks anymore," Yong Soo said.

"Why?" Emil asked and gawked at his companion.

"You have to keep it a secret."

"Okay," Emil said. "I promise not to tell."

Yong Soo nodded.

"Leon is my half-brother," Yong Soo said. "We have the same mum but different dads. We have a sister but now she lives in Japan with her husband. We moved from place to place when we were small. We've been to many countries. My brother has always been a little…strange. He was a pyromaniac."

Emil nodded, indicating that he was listening intently. A neighbour's cat passed them. Yong Soo reached out his hand. He patted the black creature's head and stroked its fur.

"He loved fires, all sorts of them. He started studying firecrackers when he was…like ten or something. His pranks could get pretty bad, to be honest. He once burnt my favourite poster and set my underwear on fire!"

Emil stifled a laugh as Yong Soo made an irritating gesture.

"He got into deep shit a lot, for playing pranks and creating illegal fireworks. But then, he met her. She shared the same eccentric passion as him. They hit it off like, what, a second flat. BOOM!"

Yong Soo smashed his fists together and imitated an explosion.

"Just like that. Sparks of love da-ze!" He giggled and then continued, "Turned out she loved fires to death. She helped him pursue his dreams. Signed him up in competitions. Got him famous on the internet. They designed fireworks together and shipped them around the world. You could see some of them displayed in cities during festivals. Those were some real, awesome stuff!"

"Yea, I've seen lots of them," Emil echoed. "Truly spectacular."

"They finished their degrees and migrated here. Her idea. Because she didn't like their city. She thought it was too suffocating. She wanted to go somewhere else and started everything anew. Probably a place where she could watch the sea, listen to seagulls and drink leisurely in the sun every day. They got rid of their jobs. Leon's dad is a British. He was born in England so he had a citizenship. They settled down here because it was quiet."

"And you? How did you end up here?" Emil asked. Yong Soo pouted. "You're thinking that I was being the third wheel, aren't you?"

Emil laughed. Yong Soo gave him a playful punch in the arm.

"I wasn't here until two years ago," Yong Soo said. "They were expecting a kid. The family came around to celebrate. And then…"

The boy paused and frowned. Emil stared at him. Yong Soo's curl slumped as he drew circles on the ground with his index finger.

"There was an accident…" Yong Soo said calmly. "She went out to get supplies. Her car crashed. It exploded. Not sure if it was caused by the explosives but…she caught fire."

Emil gasped. His head was filled with images of her squirming and shrieking in agony.

"Didn't survive…" Yong Soo lowered his voice. It took Emil a second to realise the strange choking noise was a sob. "If it hadn't exploded, she could have made it till the rescue arrived…but well…that was it. She left. My brother was crushed. He didn't leave the hospital until a week later. He tried to take his own life a couple of times…We couldn't leave him alone. The trauma. The pain. Everything. I quit my job in South Korea and came here to stay with him. He needs someone to run the café with him. He can't manage on his own."

Emil remained silent.

Yong Soo stood up and picked up his grocery bag.

"Well, I can only tell you this much da-ze," he said. "Fire is beautiful, but also dreadfully dangerous. My brother will never make fireworks again. You should…seek other sources."

Emil watched Yong Soo disappear around the corner.

* * *

 **(4)**

It was cold. The wind slapped against his face like blades. He shivered and rubbed his hands together. How long had he been waiting? Three days? Five days? A week?

Leon didn't come. Yong Soo didn't come. The café didn't open.

Emil took out his notebook and opened it. He glanced at the postcard. Elinora had asked him to be strong.

 _Never stop dreaming._

He would not give up. No, he would never let her dream die. That was what he promised when he held her hand and kissed her goodbye. She had smiled and wiped off his tears. Even if all that was left of her was a living skeleton- a pallid face, a bald head and jutting bones, she was still his angel. He would not clip her wings.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Emil quickly crumpled the postcard. Standing before him was Leon in a red hoodie and skinny jeans. He was holding a balloon with a letter tied to the end of the string.

"Hi," Emil greeted and stood up.

"You're, like, sitting in front of our house, you know," Leon said. "Should I, like, call the cops?"

Emil turned and glanced up at the entire small building.

"You live up there?"

"Yea," Leon said. "Do you, like, love me so much you have to become such a stalker?"

Emil frowned before his cheeks reddened.

"What?"

Leon smirked.

"I know I'm hot," he said. "I don't mind attracting guys since I'm bi. But having a guy lurk about my café is kinda creepy. You do know that my bedroom window is just above your head, right?"

"No, I don't," Emil said plainly. "You know why I'm here."

"Let's talk about something else, okay?" Leon said. "At least, make me believe that you genuinely want to hang out or something. It's getting, like, pretty boring around here. Life's dull anyway."

Emil peeked at the balloon and then back at Leon.

"Hang…out?"

"You've been stalking me for, like, three weeks," Leon said. "If you wanna ask me out, just do so."

"What?" Emil scowled. "Who wants to go out with a narcissist like you?"

"Fine." Leon shrugged and started walking away. "Suit yourself."

Immediately realising his mistake, Emil blushed furiously and yanked Leon back.

"Wait!" he yelped. "I can do with a date. What do you think?"

"That's more like it." Leon chuckled and winked.

There wasn't much to do. They walked along the shore and chatted. Leon cracked some silly jokes and teased Emil with terrible pick-up lines. Emil rolled his eyes and attempted to push him into the water. Leon laughed. They kept walking until they reached the small cliff. Leon climbed to the top and stood near the edge. For a second, Emil worried about his safety, but Leon pulled him up with him. They peered down at the deep sea and the ruthless waves below. Leon let go of the string. The balloon soared high in the sky.

"What…is that?" Emil asked.

"A message," Leon muttered, "to the heaven."

The balloon floated in the air. It flew upper and upper until it was just a tiny dot among the clouds. Soon, it disappeared.

"You…come here every day?"

Leon nodded. He sat down on a rock and glanced out at the sea.

"Have you ever wondered what it feels like to jump from here?" he asked.

Emil took a look at the layers of rocks below him. He shook his head.

"Shall we try?"

"No." Emil's face paled.

Leon laughed.

"Gosh, I'm only kidding."

"You look so serious," Emil said.

"Yea, do I?" Leon smirked. "How do you like my sexy serious face?"

"Drop it," Emil growled.

"Do you even like guys?"

Emil blushed and looked away. He tried to focus on the duck-shaped cloud not far above and the puffin-like one next to it. Speaking of puffins, he had left his dear pet to his brother, Lukas. He wondered if it was alright.

"I assume, like, you swing both ways."

Leon stood up and climbed down the cliff.

"I'm going back," Leon said. "Fancy a dinner?"

"Why not?"

* * *

 **(5)**

They ate at his house. It was a cosy apartment with an enormous sitting room, three bedrooms, a bathroom and a well-equipped kitchen. There were a lot of windows so Emil could see the ocean from different angles.

"That idiot's gone into the town drinking with some friends," Leon said. "Probably gonna get laid or something."

It took Emil a while to realise that he was talking about Yong Soo. Leon asked if he was fine with some Chinese cuisine. Emil nodded. He had never tried any. It would be intriguing.

Leon cooked them fried rice with eggs and shrimps, sweet-and-sour chicken, steamed fish and some stir-fried cauliflowers. It was the best meal Emil had ever had in England so far. Leon opened a bottle of champagne and offered Emil a glass. Emil took the glass and thanked his host. They chatted about random things- their favourite places for vacation, their favourite food, their most embarrassing moment in life, their college degrees, their jobs….

By the fifth glass, Emil's cheeks started burning. He felt tipsy but the alcohol was too good to resist. He could indulge in it all day. It drowned him. It made him forget. It kept his dream alive.

"Yong Soo…told…me…about your wife…"

It simply slipped out of his mouth. He couldn't remember what they were discussing at that moment, but Leon's cheeks were as red as his. He dropped the glass. It shattered into pieces.

"S-Sorry…for everything…"

Leon stood up, swayed and tottered towards Emil. He grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up. Emil shut his eyes and braced himself for a smack. Instead, hot, wet lips met his. He opened his eyes in bewilderment. Leon kept a firm grip around the back of his neck and kissed harder. Emil returned the kiss and soon their tongues were swirling around each other.

They stumbled towards the couch and fell. Emil landed first, with Leon on top. They were both panting, their lids half-drooped.

"You know…" Leon slurred. "It's…like…not very…polite to…dig into someone's…past."

"I…just…wanna let you know…" Emil paused, blinking drowsily at the boy above him. "I don't…tend to give up…that easily…"

"Oh…really…" Leon smirked.

They kissed.

At some point, tears trickled down both their faces.

It was a long night.

They woke up naked on the couch. Yong Soo didn't return that night. The two boys took a bath together and ate breakfast in silence. Emil kept admiring the sea view outside the windows. Leon kept filling his glass with more milk. Occasionally, they exchanged a smile or two. After the meal, Leon washed the dishes and Emil watched some television. Leon joined him for a while before taking him to the end of the corridor. He opened the door.

Emil stood outside the bedroom. The wall was painted sky-blue with colourful flowers and a meadow. On one side of the room, there was a dressing table with lots of accessory boxes, jewels, small crystal figurines and mirrors. On the other side, there was a study table with a computer and a board. Pictures scattered on the board. Most of them consisted of a boy and a girl hugging each other, making exaggerating poses in famous sightseeing sites, laughing in parties or kissing. There was a double bed by the window side. It was covered in clean, white sheets. Stuffed pandas lined up neatly on it.

"Um…are you sure I can-" Emil stuttered.

"She wouldn't mind," Leon cut him off. He gestured for him to enter the room. Emil nodded and stepped into the room. He took a closer look at those pictures. The girl had black hair and dark brown eyes like Leon. Her hair reached down to her hip. She was a head shorter than Leon. Slender. Beautiful. In most pictures, she wore a matching outfit with her husband. They both seemed to adore red very much. They were either both stoic in front of the camera or making silly faces. They didn't look exactly that much alike but did share some resemblances in appearance and demeanour.

"Victoria," Leon mumbled.

Emil blinked at him.

"That's her name," he said. "The same one as the harbour on your postcard."

"Oh..." Emil nodded.

"Tell me why you want them," Leon said sternly and sat down on his wife's bed. He crossed his legs and stared at Emil.

"Huh?"

"The fireworks," he said. "Why you need them so badly."

Emil shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes again and smiled bitterly at Leon.

"You know," he said, "you aren't the only one who's lost his loved one."

* * *

 **(6)**

Beams of scarlet shot up to the sky and exploded into a spectrum of colours. They sparkled alongside thousands of stars in the milky way. They formed patterns of flowers, rainbows, towers and soon the entire picture of Victoria Harbour came into sight. The glimmering dotted buildings and the starry ferry floated above the sea.

 _"You'll love it, Emil."_

Emil stood still. His mouth gaped open. All the colours pierced into his eyes. He found it hard to breathe.

Elinora was right.

It was amazing.

Simply amazing.

Leon stood next to him, his hands jammed into his pockets.

"Do you like it?" he asked. "Is that what she wants?"

Emil, too stunned to speak, could only nod and take small steps forward. He kept his head up. His eyes fixated on those exploding colours. The thunderous sounds dazed him.

Tears streamed down his cheeks. He could feel her presence. Her giggles. Her head on his shoulder. The touch of her soft fingers.

"Emil?" Leon whispered.

Emil shuddered. He blinked. More tears rolled down his face.

"We had an argument…" Emil said. "A couple of months after our wedding. She went off. I didn't know it was that serious until she told me she had left Iceland… She flew to a very far place. I thought she was joking."

Emil rubbed the back of his hand against his cheek. The tears wouldn't stop though.

"It sounds kinda funny now. You know where she went?" He chuckled. "Hong Kong. I mean, that was so damn far away. She went there alone. She was crazy. Really, she did some crazy stuff all the time but I guess that's why I loved her. She didn't bring anything with her. She wandered around and somehow managed to meet someone. She met a girl. She said she had an interesting name because it was the same as the harbour she visited. They watched the symphony of lights together. Around that time, there was a festival going on. Chinese New Year. There were fireworks. The girl showed her which one she designed. Elinora fell in love with it."

Emil slipped his hand into his pocket and clutched the folded postcard.

"That girl showed her colours when she thought there would be none in her life," Emil continued. "She said it was amazing. She never stopped talking about it. I went to find her and we returned to Iceland. Ever since then, she wouldn't stop mentioning fireworks. She said it would be nice if only she could see them one more time. The one made by that girl and her husband."

Leon walked up to Emil and took his hand. It was cold, but he could warm it.

"It was late autumn, when everything faded and broke apart. We were expecting a baby. Couldn't keep it because she was diagnosed with…cancer. Close to last phase. We tried everything. Surgery. Radiotherapy. Chemotherapy. Nothing…helped…I guess…it was fate. She left several months later. And the last thing she said was-"

 _"You should go see it. You'll love it, Emil."_

He squeezed his hand. Colours flickered across the night sky. They flew. The soared high. They exploded.

Beautiful.

Yet ephemeral.

Love.

Death.

Dreadfully dangerous.

"She loved her," Emil said and turned to Leon. "She loved your wife."

Leon nodded.

"I should've, like, figured it out when Victoria mentioned her," Leon said. Their eyes met.

"It would be our fifth anniversary today," Emil said, "if she were here."

"They'll reach them," Leon said.

"Huh?"

"The fireworks," Leon muttered and pointed to the colourful sky. "All of them. Just like the balloons. They'll reach them. The heaven. They'll know. They'll understand. They'll see that we're watching. Never forget."

"Yes…they will reach them," Emil agreed with a faint smile.

* * *

 **(7)**

Summer at the beach could get quite hot. Emil wasn't a fan of hot weather. He would stay inside the café and spend every second in the air-conditioned air.

"Banana smoothie for table ten, ice lemonade for table twelve!" Yong Soo shouted. "Three donuts for table seven and a tiramisu cake for table four!"

"Got it," Emil said, quickly preparing the pastries and the beverages.

Leon was serving the tables outside. The place was crowded. Full of noise, laughter and energy.

The sea was beautiful. The sky was blue. Flowers were in full bloom.

Yong Soo went behind the counter to help him.

"Tired huh?" he teased.

"Not yet." Emil chuckled.

Yong Soo gave him a light pat on the back.

Leon soon entered the café and tapped the desk.

"Table eleven outside wants orange mojito."

"Right."

"Love how serious you look while you're at work." Leon smirked.

"Shut up." Emil blushed.

His boyfriend leant in and kissed him swiftly on the cheek.

Emil's face went redder than the apples in the basket.

He wasn't sure if this counted as a new adventure.

Still, he gave it a shot.

As Elinora said-

 _Never stop dreaming._


End file.
